Systems and methods for illumination control and distribution during a vehicle bank
AssigneeJ.W. Speaker Corporation
InventorsKevin Jay McWithey, Bradley William Kay, Dragolsav Popovic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bank angle of a vehicle can be accurately calculated using yaw axis data and roll axis data, and based on the calculated bank angle, vehicle illumination optics can be controlled to maintain a pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics to be generally horizontal. The calculated bank angle may be zeroed when the yaw axis data equals zero. The improved pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics illuminates a more natural field of view for the vehicle driver during a bank.
Claims20
A headlight system for a vehicle comprising:
- a motion sensor configured to sample yaw rate data;
- a primary illumination source;
- a plurality of secondary illumination sources;
- a processor configured to control an illumination pattern provided by the primary illumination source and the plurality of secondary illumination sources in response to a bank angle value output by a bank angle calculation, during the bank angle calculation, the processor being configured to:
- sample the yaw rate date from the motion sensor;
- compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate;
- when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set the bank angle value to zero;
- and
- when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value.
A headlight system for a vehicle comprising:
- a motion sensor configured to sample yaw rate data;
- an illumination source including an array of illumination elements;
- a processor configured to control an illumination pattern provided by the illumination source in response to a bank angle value output by a bank angle calculation, during the bank angle calculation, the processor being configured to:
- sample the yaw rate date from the motion sensor;
- compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate;
- when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set the bank angle value to zero;
- and
- when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value.
A method for calculating a bank angle value and controlling a headlight on a vehicle, the method comprising:
- sampling, using a processor, yaw rate data;
- determining, using the processor, if the yaw rate data is between a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate;
- upon determining that the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, setting, using the processor, the bank angle value to zero;
- upon determining that the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculating, using the processor, the bank angle value;
- and
- controlling, using the processor, an illumination pattern provided by the headlight based on the bank angle value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.